Nearly all-modern electronic devices require portable electrical power, and power consumption is often a performance bottleneck. Wireless products, such as personal digital assistants, mobile phones, entertainment devices, and next generation laptops in particular have a great demand for sustained power. For long-term, portable operation, fuel cells are an attractive solution. Fuel cells, like batteries, efficiently convert chemical energy into electricity, but have additional advantages, such as higher energy density and the possibility of instant refueling.
In applications related to personal temperature regulation particularly in colder climates, people have several options, e.g. insulating by adding layers of clothing, using battery powered electric heaters or chemical heaters. Insulating clothing has the advantage of being relatively simple and reliable, but has the primary disadvantage of the necessity for “layering” for variable temperatures or activity levels to maintain comfortable body temperature. This often requires carrying unused layers and the cumbersome process of adding and removing layers as conditions change. Battery powered electric heaters have the advantage of providing controllable, distributed heating, but they are constrained by the limited battery energy density. Chemical heaters have the advantage of low cost, lightweight, and good energy density, but do not provide either controllable or distributable heat or electricity, seriously limiting their efficacy.
Accordingly, it would be considered an advance in the art to develop new systems that allow for easy integration of fuel cells into our day-to-day operations and utilize them as an on-demand power supply for the power-hungry wireless products and at the same time utilize these fuel cells as personal temperature regulators.